University of Iceland Language Centre has organized Polish Days from 11th to 14th of September at Veröld – House of Vigdís. The programme focuses on Poland in the first half of the 20th century and guests will get to know the music of that time, visit Gdynia, "the city made of sea and dreams", and see the country in that era through the eyes of Polish movie directors. The events will be conducted in English and open to the public.
Programme
- Monday September 11th 16:30-18:00 at Veröld – House of Vigdís, „Heimasvæði“ on 2nd floor. Opening of Polish days: Mr. Gerard Pokruszyński Ambassador of the Republic of Poland and Justyna Zych from the University of Warsaw. Lecture: Gdynia - the Happiest Polish City (Małgorzata Malinowska, University of Warsaw) Gdynia, "the city made of sea and dreams", restored Poland's position as a country with its own port on the Baltic. The story of Gdynia's creation is a tale of bold urban planners, architects and of workers from all over the country drawn by the hope of a better life. Refreshments after the lecture are offered by the Polish Embassy in Iceland.
- Tuesday September 12th 18:00-20:00 at Veröld - House of Vigdís, Auditorium. Film screening: Eugeniusz Bodo - an Icon of Polish Pop Culture. Introductory lecture (15 min) and screening of Bodo (dir. Michał Kwieciński, 2017, 106 min) with an optional discussion after the film. Eugeniusz Bodo was one of the first true celebrities who used the potential of radio and cinema. His extraordinary biography is closely intertwined with the fate of Poland.
- Wednesday September 13th 16:30-17:30 at Veröld – House of Vigdís, „Heimasvæði“, 2nd floor. Lecture: Patriotic and Religious Songs as the Foundation of Polish Mass Culture (combined with listening to music pieces) (60 min). Songs accompany communities in their daily lives and in festive moments. Many of those that contribute to the collective imagination of Poles about their own country were written during the turbulent times of the first half of the 20th century. We invite you to find out more about some of them.
- Thursday September 14th 18:00-20:00 at Veröld – House of Vigdís, Auditorium. Film screening: What Does the Microcosm of a Hotel Restaurant Tell Us about Poland in the 1930s? Screening of the film Hotel Pacific (Janusz Majewski, 1975, 95 min), preceded by a short introduction. Hotel Pacific reflects like a lens a cross-section of the entire stratified society of interwar Poland. Roman, a young newcomer from the eastern provinces, dreams of a better life in the big city. Would his values and youthful outlook survive in the clash of greed and relentlessness?